Funded by the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the Computational Science and Engineering program, the workshop will explore potential research directions in origami engineering and potential uses for origami in real-world engineering applications. The workshop will include lectures by senior participants, as well as discussions and interaction to spark future collaboration among participants.
Folding structures are being developed for a broad range of purposes—for example, in the creation of tiny, minimally invasive surgical tools. Some are smart structures, capable of assembling themselves through the use of shape memory alloys or the inclusion of semi-conductors. Other applications include self-assembling shelters for disaster relief, the use of folding elements to make buildings more resilient and safer or to serve a purpose like adjustable shading, and simply the opportunity to make buildings more interesting and aesthetically pleasing.
For more information about the workshop, visit the website at http://paulino.cee.illinois.edu/origami2014.html. Videos showing folding structures in action can be viewed here: http://paulino.cee.illinois.edu/origami_tensegrity_initiative.html.